Oklahoma Hoard 5 lbs of Wheat Cents

It’s hard to believe the last copper cent was issued by the US Mint 30 years ago in 1982…the last wheat cent over 50 years ago in 1958. Today the melt value of a copper cent is in excess of its face value … to curtail the rush to melt Congress passed a law making it illegal to melt copper US Cents. If you’re like most you still look at your pocket change…and when you find something...you put it aside. When is the last time you found a wheat cent? My guess it’s been a few decades.

A question I have to ask…how long would it take to fill two fifty gallon drums to the top with Lincoln wheat cents? The answer we were told was almost a decade. An avid coin collector-hoarder started putting the wheat cents he found aside shortly after the US Mint announced it was going to change the design of the cent in 1959 to the Memorial reverse design. He passed away in the late 60s…and his body of work…almost 100 gallons of wheat cents. His family held onto his treasure for a half century.

When it was brought to our attention we jumped on the opportunity. Wheat cents are one of the top collectible coins today. The hoard hasn’t been touched or searched. We’ve gone through a few thousand coins and have found coins dating back to the 1930’s from two of the US Mints: Philadelphia and Denver, including the unique one year only steel cents from 1943.